Neogene seismotectonics of the south central Chile margin [Elektronische Ressource] : subduction-related processes over various temporal and spatial scales / Daniel Melnick

Institut für Geowissenschaften Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche FakultätUniversität Potsdam Neogene seismotectonics of the south-central Chile margin Subduction-related processes over various temporal and spatial scales Daniel Melnick Geboren am 25.12.1976 in Santiago, Chile Dissertation zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades Doktor der Naturwissenschaften (Dr. rer. nat.) in der Wissenschaftsdisziplin Geologie eingereicht an der Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Universität Potsdam Potsdam, im Januar 2007 dedicado a Amerika Manzanares, amor de mi vida... Abstract The Andean orogen is the most outstanding example of mountain building caused by the subduction of oceanic below continental lithosphere. The Andes formed by the subduction of the Nazca and Antarctic oceanic plates under the South American continent over at least ~200 million years. Tectonic and climatic conditions vary markedly along this north-south–oriented plate boundary, which thus represents an ideal natural laboratory to study tectonic and climatic segmentation processes and their possible feedbacks. Most of the seismic energy on Earth is released by earthquakes in subduction zones, like the giant 1960, M 9.